The warm, sunny weather made for a perfect day out on the water. Everyone enjoyed a nice boat ride out to Petit Manan and offshore. There was barely a breeze and at times the surface was a smooth as glass. It certainly felt like summer was on its way today!
As we arrived on the whale grounds our eyes scanned the horizon intensely. We saw a number of birds, including Wilson storm petrels and greater shearwaters. A northern gannet tagged along for a while, flying very close to the boat.
Northern Gannet
Though it took some time, our patience paid off, as we spotted a tail rising out of the water and then disappearing below the surface. It was a humpback whale! Our first of the season! Since it was such a calm day we could also see the long, white pectoral flippers of the whale appear from the depths.
Humpback whale
When the tail was lifted out of the water, our research assistants, Stacey and Jillian, had cameras poised and ready to take a photograph. By taking a photograph of the tail we can attempt to identify the whale. The black and white pigmentation on the underside of the tail or fluke is different for each humpback whale allowing us to differentiate individuals.
As naturalist Christine and the research assistants looked through our boat's humpback whale catalog, they came across a whale named "Tab" and the markings looked very similar. Taking a few looks between the picture on the camera and the catalog we all soon agreed it was a match! Tab was first sighted in 1981 and has been seen multiple times in the Bay of Fundy. Maybe this whale was taking a quick pit stop while on its travels north. It was exciting sighting for me as it was my first time seeing Tab.
"Tab"
Other wildlife sighted included a few small pods of harbor porpoise and a several grey seals. Overall, it was a successful whale watch and exciting one as well as we had the chance to see a different species of large whale and identify the individual we sighted!
Photos: Walter Churchill
Northern Gannet
Humpback whale
"Tab"